Samsung takes a 'Make for India' call to take on Chinese firm Xiaomi

In 2018, the Korean major is focusing on localisation R&D to retain its leadership

Four years ago, market leader Samsung was facing stiff competition from a fleet of local brands like Micromax, Lava and Karbonn, who had grabbed over one-third of the market. With strong offline distribution network and cheaper offerings, the Indian players had their prime during 2013 and early 2014. Once their dominance began to fade, fresh attacks came from Chinese firms like Vivo, Oppo and Lenovo (and Moto). But never before had the Korean giant faced a position where its leadership was under threat. Come 2017, however, the game had turned harder. Not only did the next attack come from a